1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to racks, and more particularly to apparatus for supporting a plurality of knives and analogous bladed articles of cutlery.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore knife racks for use in the household kitchen have conventionally included several separated slots having fixed dimensions for receiving knife blades of particular widths. Such racks have been adapted to be mounted on a vertical surface so that the handle of the knife is in an upright position. A disadvantage of racks of this type is that when a knife is inserted into a slot that is either too narrow or too short, the knife would either not be able to be received by the rack or would have a tendency to fall out of the rack. In addition, in mounting the rack at a height which allows the user easy access to the upright knife handles, a safety hazard may be created since the rack may be low enough to be within easy access to small children.
In the patent art, several patents teach knife racks. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 2,453,800, entitled "Knife Rack" by G. H. Lowell, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 2,571,972, entitled "Holding Rack" by W. L. Wagner; U.S. Pat. No. 2,639,038, entitled "Meat Knife Holder" by N. A. Merritt; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,955,789, entitled "Knife Rack" by R. B. Smith, teach knife racks in which the knives are maintained in an upright position.